The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

FOUR men are in police custody in connection with the seizure of over $600,000 worth of marijuana over the weekend.

Saturday’s arrest in the Coral Harbour area came five days after police uncovered $118,000 of marijuana in a stop-and-search of a white van in the area of Chippingham near the Humane Society.

It was also the Drug Enforcement Unit’s (DEU) second major raid in the Coral Harbour area in a month.

According to reports on this latest seizure, DEU officers observed a suspicious vessel and a group of men off-loading a number of bags during a special operation. Officers also checked out the vicinity and uncovered more bags concealed in a van.

One of the suspects was in the van while the others were off-loading the bags containing the suspected drugs from a boat.

“We observed a suspicious vessel and a group of men off-loading a number of bags,” Chief Superintendant Samuel Butler, head of the DEU, told reporters on Saturday.

“We continued our investigation that took us further in the western area of New Providence where we were able to recover a number of bags that were concealed in a Mazda van.”

The total weight of the drugs is more than 600lbs.

This drug discovery comes less than a month after three Bahamian men were arrested when they were caught in Coral Harbour, allegedly with more than half a million dollars worth of marijuana. The total weight of the marijuana in that seizure was 570lbs with an estimated street value of $570,000.

So far, for the year, police have captured more than $12 million worth of marijuana and $13 million worth of cocaine.